Syracuse defensive end Julian Pollard began with three months — from the day of his final high school game until signing day — to make the most important decision of his life.

Standing in the office of Bloomfield (Conn.) High School head coach Jack Cochran, Pollard was clad in a black and white suit. The three months had dwindled to 10 minutes. A number of Pollard’s teammates sat in an adjacent room, likewise impeccably dressed and ready to announce which colleges they would attend in the fall.

‘Everybody’s looking at each other, set the way they’re going,’ Pollard said. ‘I’m like ‘Man, I don’t know.’ Right before (Cochran) took me in his office and said I didn’t have to do it then, but I had to let him know.’

But even then, under fire from his coach and minutes from a public announcement, Pollard couldn’t decide. Instead, Cochran brought two hats to the podium. One, the black and gold of Iowa. The other, Syracuse’s orange and blue.

As he listened to teammate after teammate make their selections, Pollard debated his choices. At Syracuse he could stay close enough to home that his mother, Karen, could make the four-hour ride and see him play. At Iowa, he could join close friend and teammate Jermelle Lewis, not to mention escape the 6-foot-2 shadow of Dwight Freeney.

‘I made it at the last minute. No, the last second,’ Pollard said. ‘I got up there and whispered in (Cochran’s) ear and that was it.’

Freeney and Pollard followed similar paths to Syracuse. Both played at Bloomfield under Cochran. Neither played his first year, and both had to be convinced to join the team their sophomore season.

‘They were a lot alike,’ Cochran said. ‘Julian’s a very quiet kid. He kept to himself. Dwight’s the same way.’

But Pollard remembers when the comparisons really began. During his junior year, assistant coaches watching practice from across the field thought they noticed a familiar figure hurling himself against a padded practice sled.

‘They thought we were the same in high school,’ Pollard said. ‘Coaches would see me hitting the sled and be like, ‘Oh here comes ‘New Dwight.’ ‘

With his new title, teammates and coaches encouraged Pollard to take Freeney’s old No. 44. But New Dwight didn’t want to live up to the expectations associated with the number. He didn’t plan to be the new Dwight Freeney. He claimed No. 56 and aimed to be the first Julian Pollard.

When Pollard arrived at Syracuse last year, the comparisons died down. The only linemen likely to draw comparisons to Freeney during his All-America senior season will hear their names called on NFL Draft day.

But this year, Pollard’s ready to hear the comparisons again.

He’s currently practicing with the first team as Freeney’s replacement. But unlike his high school teammates and coaches, head coach Paul Pasqualoni and defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro are more cautious about naming Pollard the heir apparent.

His competition includes redshirt freshmen James Wyche, Ryan LaCasse and Tommy Harris.

‘Right now, they’re all even,’ Azzinaro said. ‘Julian’s a bigger player. He plays with leverage. (Wyche and LaCasse) are young guys, they’re both very fast and very strong. (Harris) is a guy who comes from a great football program and just knows how to play.’

Azzinaro said coaches will not choose a favorite until Saturday’s scrimmage. Pollard, though, held a slight edge over the competition at the end of last season. He was one of two freshmen to garner playing time, seeing action in five games and making one tackle.

‘Everyone compares the two of them,’ starting defensive end Josh Thomas said. ‘He’s probably sick of it. He gets asked more Dwight questions than anyone on the team.’

Pollard, however, won’t have to replace Freeney all by himself.

The SU defensive line returns starting defensive tackles Christian Ferrara and Louis Gachelin, as well as Thomas.

The trio, along with returning linebacker Clifton Smith, should improve SU’s rush defense — which allowed 170.2 yards per game last season.

‘We lost a key player, but I wouldn’t say we’re inexperienced,’ Thomas said. ‘I don’t think there’ll be a drop-off in production. Last year everyone wanted the sacks, but guys, especially Christian, did a lot of things inside that nobody noticed.’

Even if Pollard is successful in his quest to earn a starting position, he’ll still face the critics’ comparisons to Freeney — at least until the first week of the fall season.

‘You try to get three or four guys to upgrade their play, and hopefully you’re in the ballpark,’ Azzinaro said. ‘You don’t replace Dwight Freeney.’

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Published on April 10, 2002 at 12:00 pm